Biology

Jynx is a bipedal, humanoid Pokémon that resembles a bulky woman. Jynx wears a red gown that hides its feet and has white arms with purple hands. There are golden circles on the chest area of its gown. Jynx has a purple face, pink lips, saucer-like eyes, and long blonde hair. Originally, its face was colored black, causing controversy. Jynx is a female only species with no true male counterpart.

Jynx has a language with several cry patterns that sounds similar to human speech. However, this language has yet to be deciphered. It prefers to communicate by using dance-like movements. These rhythmic movements often cause people to dance along with it. It puts its enemies to sleep using its signature move, Lovely Kiss. Jynx often is found in urban areas.

In the Magical Pokémon Journey manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Jynx debuted in The Jynx Jinx under the ownership of Ken. She was used to attack Red and Green after they tricked Team Rocket and capture Mew. When she attacked Mew, Red and Green tried to defend it, only to be defeated. Mew retaliates against her and freezes her and Ken while sparing Red and Green.

Jynx's most notable role is being under the ownership of Lorelei in Pokémon Adventures which first appeared in Jigglypuff Jive. Lorelei's Jynx is noted for having the ability to generate voodoo dolls out of ice using its Ice Beam. When Lorelei draws crosses on any part of the dolls using her lipstick, ice shackles form on the specified body parts of her targets, eventually freezing the victim over completely. Even after the victims are broken free, the freeze induces lasting numbness in the areas where it was applied. Both Red and Sabrina suffered this condition and had to seek a cure atop Mt. Silver by bathing in the hotsprings there. Another ability of Lorelei's Jynx is revealed in the Sevii Islands saga: she can create a wispy band of ice around targets, which Lorelei can use to track them down using her powder case.

Jynx walks rhythmically, swaying and shaking its hips as if it were dancing. Its motions are so bouncingly alluring, people seeing it are compelled to shake their hips without giving any thought to what they are doing.

Jynx walks rhythmically, swaying and shaking its hips as if it were dancing. Its motions are so bouncingly alluring, people seeing it are compelled to shake their hips without giving any thought to what they are doing.

Japanese sprites

Trivia

Jynx is also the only Generation I Pokémon that still has a unique type combination and is not part Poison-type.

As its Pokédex entries state that Jynx speaks an incomprehensible language, the player, as a Pokémon, cannot understand anything it says in the Mystery Dungeon series.

When Jynx faints in the Pokémon Stadium series, everything but its hair vanishes, implying that its armor and black "skin" is darkness. Similarly, in Colosseum and XD, it simply vanishes upon fainting.

Although Jynx has been seen to possess feet in the anime, it does not have a footprint.

When Jynx is viewed from underneath via the 3D-rendered Pokédex in the Stadium and X and Y games, nothing but darkness is shown underneath its dress.

A pre-alpha sketch depicts an unreleased Pokémon with the same Pokédex number as Jynx.

Controversy

Jynx's original design in the anime

Carole Boston Weatherford, a cultural critic, claimed that Jynx, which appeared in Holiday Hi-Jynx, was a negative racial stereotype of African-Americans in an article titled "Politically Incorrect Pokémon" on the magazine Black World Today. She chiefly compared Jynx to the racist characters in The Story of Little Black Sambo, and further compared Jynx to Mr. Popo of the Dragon Ball franchise, a character who is also potentially offensive in his design.

In recent years, some fans of Pokémon have noted that Jynx may be inspired by ganguro, a Japanese fashion where women tan heavily, bleach their hair, and apply large amounts of makeup, instead of a black stereotype. This theory is mainly based on Jynx's long, straight, blonde hair, a common attribute of ganguro fashion. Another theory is that Jynx is based on a Nordic princess as per the legends saying things like due to the blistering cold, a princess's skin turned black. They argue that Jynx's hair looks more like royalty than an African stereotype. They also say that being based on a Viking could reason why they are Ice type. This is further expressed by Jynx sharing traits with the iconic opera singing "Fat Lady," who is pop-culturally portrayed dressed as the valkyrieBrünnhilde.

Origin

What Jynx is based on is a controversial topic within the fandom, although common interpretations are a Nordic or a Viking woman (possibly Hel, goddess of the underworld), or ガングロ ganguro (face-black). Also, the fact that Jynx are depicted as Santa's helpers in the anime may reference the folklore character Zwarte Piet.

Jynx also has the traits of a female opera singer, especially the iconic cartoon depiction of the fat lady; Pokémon Snap and its third generation sprites depict it singing, especially the Emerald sprite that animates it singing a high note. Jynx may also have origins in the Japanese spirits known as Yuki-onna, who lack feet, akin to Jynx's feet being covered by its dress.

It may also be based on Yama-uba (also called Yamanba), a yōkai which is described as always wearing a tattered red kimono, having whitish-blonde hair, control over snow, dark-colored skin, and large lips, traits which are evident in Jynx. "Yamanba" is also a slang for the extreme end of ganguro fashion, which involves bleached hair, artificial tanning, and heavy applying of brightly-colored lipstick.

Its revised coloring may be based on purple discoloration of the skin, a common symptom of frostbite. This fits with Jynx's Ice type and how it is found in very cold places.